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Sustainability
The importance of sustainability in our community has grown dramatically over the last two years both locally and nationally. The impact of climate change is recognised both nationally and internationally and as a result it is felt that Chorleywood Parish Council should address the making of any improvements within their operation to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability, as well as suggesting changes that our residents can adopt.
A new Committee concentrating on sustainability has been established and a checklist of areas to be investigated created. The safeguarding and improving of Biodiversity is one responsibility the Parish are already very strong at, due to our Higher-Level Stewardship and management plan of the Common and this aspect is under continual review and appraisal. Our other main areas of priority focus are currently Resource Efficiency and Planning.
On 5th December 2023, the Parish Council adopted a Sustainability Action Plan, a link to which is at the top of this page.
Our Sustainability Agenda | Terms of Reference
Vision: To lead by example by making all aspects Chorleywood Parish Council’s operations more sustainable, thereby reducing our impact on the environment and the community within which we live and work.
Objectives:
- To survey all areas of responsibility within the Parish Council and adopt a Sustainability Action Plan for Chorleywood Parish Council
- To engage with the residents of Chorleywood, communicate our Action Plan and encourage the community to adopt similar practices
What we are Doing (Progress):
- We have established a Sustainability Committee
- We have agreed Terms of Reference for the above
- We have drafted a Sustainability Action plan and have begun gathering baseline data and setting sustainability targets
- We have captured initial progress in the Council’s Annual Report including:
a. Held community engagements events such as Mini Rangers to raise awareness of biodiversity
b. Continued to improve biodiversity on the Common by inviting the cattle back and further protecting the diverse range of habitats on the common
c. Introduction of habitats to encourage wild bee colonies to the Common
d. Using the Neighbourhood Plan to challenge planning applications that do not respect Sustainability e.g. transport links, inappropriate front boundary treatments or hard landscaping etc
e. Defending Chorleywood against the adverse impact of the Green Street Planning application on AONB, Green Belt and sustainability
f. Increasing our use of Sustainable procurement practices when buying items for the Council e.g. using planters made from recycled plastics
g. Introduction of recycling bins on the Common
